


It's A Long Story

by sansa_sandor_shipper



Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Castle Leoch, F/M, Forced Marriage, Gaelic Language, Jamie and Claire's daughter, Loss of Innocence, Love Triangles, Outlander - Freeform, Running Away, Scotland, Swearing, highlands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-16 20:58:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5840755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansa_sandor_shipper/pseuds/sansa_sandor_shipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elspeth Louise Fraser, is the only daughter of Jamie and Claire Fraser. She's sixteen and never wants a husband, Dougal MacKenzie is the new Laird of Castle Leoch, his wife Geillis Duncan and him had a child, Finlay- Erskine who is the heir. </p><p>But what will happen when the Fraser's are summoned to Castle Leoch and Elspeth is confronted with the possibility of marriage?</p><p>There will be smut, be patient. Damn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Elle

Jamie and I have been married for nearly eighteen years now and had a child of sixteen years, her name is Elspeth but everyone calls her Lizzie or Elle. We had stayed at Lallybrock and occasionally visited Castle Leoch as Dougal was now Laird as the young boy to be laird had died of a fever. Well, I knew it was a fever but everyone said he was possessed. When Dougal had been declared Laird, he was in France with Geillis Duncan now Geillis MacKenzie and their seventeen year old son, Finlay-Erskine.

When Dougal returned and became Laird, he requested me, Jamie and our daughter to come to Castle Leoch because of his new title and because he wished to meet our daughter. She's a pretty girl, with copper hair that was red but closer to brown, her eyes were a dull green and she was fairly tall for her age. With fair heavily freckled skin, and a boyish look and act to her, I'm pretty sure she would rather be a boy as well. Still as savvy and argumentative as her mother and she wouldn't rarely listen to me or Jamie unless she wanted too.

We made our way on horse back toward Castle Leoch a few months after Dougal's return, Elle wanted to ride her own horse and wouldn't go unless she was dragged or had her own horse. Jamie had had enough of her tongue and cheek and just yelled, "Take your horse lassy, but ken that I won't be in a good mood when we get to Leoch. You won't be aloud to any of the events and you will have to meet your great uncle's family, that is final! This is the last time you step over the line, if it happens again I will ban you from doing anything ever again!" I couldn't say I disagreed, I had been arguing with her before hand about something or other and she had been swearing at me in hushed Gaelic, causing Jamie's first outburst at her.

She had swore at him before taking her horse and riding behind both of us. It was three days to Castle Leoch and we had provisions for more than that. I had been telling her the story of the stones, of Craig Na Dun and how I was from the future from when she was a little girl. She had never told anyone but I feared that in an outburst she would blurt it out and people would hear her. But she never had, even Jenny didn't know the truth, she just trusted what I told her.

On the night of the second day, we had settled down with Jamie on watch to start off with and me talking Elle to sleep.

"I was a nurse in the second world war, as you know. I saw many battle wounds that I never thought I would be able to help with, I remember my first patient." Then Elle fell asleep, I rolled my eyes and went to sit over by Jamie.

"I worry about her sometimes, the lassy is too harsh, and if we're not around there's no one to calm people down and avert the conversation. What if she gets into real trouble. I mean, it's hard to deal with her because she's just too much to handle really. I never thought parenting would still be this hard." I rubbed his shoulders and leant on his back.

"It won't get any easier, I used to look after my cousins children and they were a handful." Jamie grimaced and looked back at me, he was still as handsome as the day I met him, if a little weather beaten, like a coat your fond of.

* * *

Mother and Father didn't know I was listening to their whole conversation, maybe I should have stood up and confronted them like usual. But they seemed to have had enough of me, maybe that was why I had no siblings. They were just to tired to have another me, around the house.

Regardless, I knew what I had too do. When we got to Castle Leoch, I would do as I was bid for a few days, perhaps three and then I would leave. It would be better for all of us if I just went, but what I really wanted to do was go to the stones. Be hurled into the future or the past and not know where I was. Mother's stories sounded magical and adventurous even of they seemed to be unreal, I wanted it all the same.

I tried to sleep now, I might as well dream about it. Where would I end up? I wanted dearly to have a love story like the one of my parents but I knew I would never get so lucky, or would I?

* * *

The next day, in late afternoon, we approached Castle Leoch. It was still as glorious and yet gloomy as last time and I couldn't say I was overjoyed at the return. We were greeted at the stables of the castle by Murtagh, Angus and Rupert, who me and Jamie hadn't seen for years. They looked a little worse for wear, but I was sure with a little alcohol they would be back to normal.

Me and Jamie hugged all three while Elle sulked by her horse, leaning on her mare and staring up to the sky. An airhead if I ever saw one, but I wouldn't change her one bit. Her dark blue dress had a fair amount of mud on the bottom as she never wore a cloak or any cover saying a dress was enough. Her hair was left down and went down to her elbows but she never took a feminine side to anything, preferring boys boots and trousers to anything being a girl could offer. She had always been a more boyish girl who hated dresses and long hair and having to be proper and sitting up straight and not be aloud to curse and not being aloud to fight the other boys. She often play fought with her older cousins Jamie, Michael and Ian while her girl cousins looked on and laughed or cheered.

They were always pulled apart of course, but she could have taken any of them if she had a real weapon or real knowledge of fighting, not just the filtered stuff from her cousins and her father.

"Elle." I called over to her but she didn't move.

"Elspeth Louise Fraser listen to your mother." Jamie snapped, Elle rolled her eyes and stalked over to me and Jamie.

"Elle, this is Angus, Rupert and Murtagh, some of the people I knew when I first came here." She looked them up and down as if she were judging them on appearance but said nothing, Angus took a swig of a whisky and wiped his mouth.

"Anyway, come one. Even if the young lass is a moody twit." I put my hand over her mouth as we walked behind the men to stop an outburst from occurring. We walked in through the kitchen door and I saw Mrs Fitz, she stared at me and Jamie for a minute before a massive smile came onto her face and she was bustling toward us.

"Agh Claire, your back!" I gave her a smile and pulled her into a hug. Jamie followed the other three out of the kitchen.

"And whose this young lassie?" She looked toward a blushing Elle who was looking to the ground, Mrs Fitz held up her chin and smiled happily at her. It made Elle smile and I thought it was genuine but I could never tell. After I had some words with Mrs Fitz, I directed my daughter toward the exit of the kitchen to join up with her father.

"Look we're going to meet your great uncles family now okay. You have to be good, please, only speak when spoken too and don't be argumentative or roll your eyes. This is important for your father, please Lizzie."

"I promise mother." I held her hand but she shook me off and I smiled. We met up with Jamie outside the doors to the great hall and breathed in.

"We just need to get through these few days and then we can leave Sassenach, I promise you, and we'll never come back." He kissed me and gripped my hand as we walked in, the hall was full of people eating their dinner and there were hushed whispers clearly about us. Elle was close behind me and I pulled her beside me, looking ahead I could see Dougal who looked the same as I remembered and Geillis who looked beautiful as ever. Their son, Finlay-Erskine had red hair, high cheekbones, broad shoulders and he seemed like a strong lad. When I saw him, I saw a younger Jamie.

"Jamie, Claire." Dougal stood up. Jamie grinned and I smiled, I hoped it didn't look too fake.

"Laird Mackenzie." Jamie answered.

"Please, let's leave the formalities. How are you?" He began to walk out from behind the table and walk toward us.

"Good, started our family." Jamie gestured to Elle and she looked like a deer in headlights when everyone looked at her. She was pale and I could sense her fear.

"Her name is Elspeth." I added so she didn't have to say it. But Dougal walked past me toward Lizzie.

"So, Elspeth. How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Do you like living with your parents?"

"Yes."

"Are you getting married?"

"What, no."

"I'm guessing you don't want to be here?"

"You would be right."

"Why is that ?"

"Because everyone hates me and I don't like talking to most people."

"Okay then. Quizzing over for now, but I'll be back to ask you more questions."

* * *

I just want to go home. Maybe I should just wait it out, Mother did say that it would help father a lot and he said we would only be here for a few days. My great uncle Dougal walked back to his seat and gestured to three empty seats on another table, mother, father and walked toward them .

"Elspeth. Come sit next to Finlay." I stopped in my tracks and glanced at my mother who nodded slightly. Father gave my hand a squeeze and I turned to the main table. My great uncle sat next to a beautiful porcelain skin red headed woman who had great stature and an air of regal-ness. On his other side was his son, my first cousin once removed I think. He had red hair, dark blue eyes and looked similar to my father. I sat next to him and he looked at me curiously.

"You don't look like your parents." I glared at him leaning back into my chair and crossing my arms like an angry child. But I didn't care. Even as he insulted me, I could see he was drunk.

"I'm heir to this castle, you can't act like that in front of me." Raising an eyebrow I continued to not eat and sulk, I liked annoying him, plus he was drunk so he'd never remember.

"Maybe your mother was an English whore? Or your Father brought back a baby from a visit through the highlands? Perhaps your just a bastards illegitimate daughter?" I gripped the arms of my chair in anger, I knew I couldn't have an outburst but I wanted to punch him in the face so badly, he is drunk, I had to keep reminding myself.

"Angry are you?" He teased again then he lost interest and went back to his food, I refused to eat. I spent my time thinking of ways to beat up everyone in this hall.

After a few minutes my stomach was rumbling and I knew I couldn't go much longer without food, I looked around and could see my mother looking at me with a, come on Elle it's not that bad, look. But I just moved my eyes everywhere else but to them, finally they set on a dark brown curly haired boy, he had broad shoulders and a strong build and made me melt inside. I had never really had crushes like my female cousins did, but the dark curly haired boy or man- I still didn't know his age- was so masculine and... I don't even know.

He just elicited something inside me that made me need to look away, but I suddenly had a need to give off a good impression and be nicer than I actually was. I started to worry about what my hair looked like and whether he would like me or not and all these stupid things.

I knew looking at him was stupid so I looked away for fear he would catch me staring. I couldn't see what colour his kilt was so there was no chance of me knowing what clan he was from.

Looking down at my plate, it was empty and my stomach rumbled again. Sighing, I forked a piece of lamb and a few potatoes with a few carrots as well.

Reluctantly I let into hunger and ravenously tucked in, my father always told me I ate like a dog when I was hungry and I couldn't prove him wrong. But I wiped my mouth and sat back into my chair, looking around I found that the dark curly haired boy or man was staring at me this time. It could have been for any reason but it stopped me in my tracks and I swallowed. He took a drink and still stared at me. I didn't blush, it just wasn't a thing I did, I never really felt embarrassed about anything.

But as he stared at me I grew more and more worried about someone looking at our unbroken eyeline so I looked over to my mother who seemed to have seen what I was doing, when she raised her eyebrows. I smiled at her and looked back to the table. I saw a cup filled with something, I didn't look at it before taking a sip and immediately regretted it. I respectfully spat the liquid back into the cup without anyone noticing. Wine. I thought it may have been water or ale, I could stomach that. But wine tasted like warm piss and yes I've tasted warm piss. It's what happens when you pay dares with 20 year old male cousin's.

About an hour later, Dougal declared in Gaelic that we should go back to our rooms or something along those lines. I knew some Gaelic but not much, any Scots we told about it just shunned me. They considered Gaelic to be the language of Scotland even though most of the country didn't speak it. The fact that I didnt know Gaelic bothered them and I can't think for the life of me why.

Everyone began to get up and walk out of the hall but I just stayed still, sitting up straighter I looked around for my parents but I couldn't find them anywhere. They hall began to empty and I still couldn't see them. Standing up I raised up onto my toes to look over the crowd but it was to not avail, they were no where to be seen.

I was about to look for them when a hand stopped me from going, it was Finlay.

"Elspeth, come here." I obediently sat near him. He got close to my ear and whispered in a drunk slur.

"We better become good friends because I'm promised to you." -He laughed loudly. "Bet you didn't expect that, were to be married!" He almost yelled, but nobody noticed. I stood up quickly and the chair flew backwards, my mouth was open wide and I couldn't focus, everyone was staring at me and then I ran to the back of the hall and up the stairs and tried to find anywhere to get outside.


	2. Finlay

I was to be married! That's why we were here. Maybe they weren't even going to tell me, maybe they would just spring it upon me and I wouldn't have been able to say no? My parents wouldn't do that, would they? No, it had to be a mistake. But if it wasn't, perhaps if I went back they would wed me tomorrow so there would be no time for me to even protest. Maybe this was a test to see if I flipped out? What have I done? Well, I can't go back now.

Walking up and down stairs I stayed out of the way of people until I felt someone was following me and I slipped into a room, it was fire lit and empty, I closed the door. Just what I needed, well it was until I heard footsteps outside the door, I practically jumped into the floor to get under the bed, and momentarily cursed in Gaelic as I hit the stone.

A man in a deep green and blue kilt walked in, he sighed and let his belt fall to the floor, then his sportsman and this sword belt before his kilt dropped to the ground and he sat on the bed. I heard the process of his taking of his garters and then letting them fall to the floor before pulling back the covers of his bed and getting under them.

I thanked the Lord that night that the man hadn't taking the liberty of bringing a girl back or taking part in uhmm nightly pleasures to himself. If that had happened I wouldn't have been able to contain the laughter.

It was about an your later that I heard snoring. Waiting a couple of minutes I pulled myself forward and out from under the bed, but I soon realised that no one was snoring.

"Faigh muin." _Fuck_.

"Indeed." A deep voice behind me said before I was pulled up from under the bed and held at knife point against a wall. I just closed my eyes and didn't react.

"Wait." He drew the knife from my throat and I looked at him, it was the dark brown curly haired boy in just a tunic.

"Your Jamie Fraser's daughter?" I nodded.

"Sorry lass, I dinna know who you were." Pulling down my sleeves I looked back at him.

"You dinna look much like your parents though." Rolling my eyes I looked to the door and began to walk toward it when a hand stopped me.

"Oh no, I will not hurt you lassy. But you must tell me why you were in my room, you owe me that much." Biting my lip I wondered whether I should tell him.

"Well... When I was in the hall, a drunk Finlay told me we were to be married. I don't even know him but according to him we're getting married soon so I panicked and ran out. I was just walking around the castle trying to find a door to get outside, I've been wanting to run away for some time now. But then I thought someone was following me, I suppose it was you. But your room was the closest thing that I could hide in and I did. I've never even been here before." He pushed his perfect hair out from his perfect green eyes and I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Okay, shall I walk you back to the hall or help you find your parents?" I nodded silently.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Elspeth, but everyone calls me Elle or Lizzie. What's yours?"

"I'm, Hamish Murray." I stuck out my hand, and he shook it.

"Just turn around while I dress myself will you." Rolling my eyes I faced the wall, wishing more than ever for a convenient mirror, but there were none. He tapped me on the shoulder a few minutes later and then went out of the room before me, checking the coast was clear. This part of the castle had a spiral staircase so it was easy to outrun someone.

"Right, come on." I shut his door before scampering after him.

We got back to the hall where my mother was looking worried and my father looked like he was ready to go on a ride as they talked to my great uncle and aunt. As soon as she saw me, she ran forward and I saw the look my father gave Hamish.

"I'm fine, not dead. But you three lacked too tell my something." I looked at my great uncle.

"Excuse me?' Jamie asked.

"You heard me. Finlay, being drunk told me that I'm to be married to him. Oh yes, was that why I was brought out here father? Did you just want to lure me out here so you could marry me off and get rid of me?" He was shocked to silence and I pushed past all of them.

"Oh by the way. I've been planning running away for weeks now, and today I really considered it." I yelled back at them as I walked away. I didn't know where my room was, but anywhere was better than here.

* * *

I was stunned, my daughter had just turned up with a random man saying someone had told her she was going to be married? I knew nothing of it. Running after her I pulled Jamie with me.

"Elle. I didn't know anything about a marriage. I just thought we had to come here because your great uncle was laird." I tried to reason with her. She turned around with tears in her eyes.

"Me and your father knew nothing about it." But Jamie wasn't saying anything.

"Jamie. Help me here, please." But he was silent still.

"-I knew there was talk of a marriage and I did accept for that reason. I thought maybe you would like him ..."

"And that I would leave you and mother alone and happy, because I'm such a bad person and I can't take care of myself, you thought. Oh I'll get Elle married and she'll be away from here and I'll never ever have to think about her again." She retorted toward Jamie.

"Hold your tongue. You are the child here, I'm the adult, you will listen to me when I say that you s re not aloud to talk back or be savvy toward us. Your behaviour is ridiculous and childish, grow up." I was surprised by Jamie, usually I was bad person in the arguments. Elle just started crying silently and I took her hand, leading her to her room.

"Come with me. Go to bed and we'll sort this out in the morning." She didn't say a word as she undressed until she was in her shift and got into bed. She turned onto her side so she didn't have to look at me.

"Goodnight Lizzie."

The next morning I woke up rolled away from Jamie. That's had been happening lately even though it never used to, I sat up in bed and looked over to my husband who was peacefully sleeping the other side of the bed. His red hair had only one or two grey hairs in it, while mine was getting increasingly hair to cover. I had started using some dark dye used to colour kilts in my hair, but I had forgot to bring it with me and feared that people would think me strange for requesting it.

Even now I thought back at, there was Frank and England and what would be 1963.. That's a peculiar thought that eighteen years have passed since I came through the stones at Craig Na Dun. It would be eighteen years since I was with Frank. I must have been declared dead by now or at least missing, I wonder of he married again, I wouldn't blame him. I did and I love Jamie more than I did with Frank.

Maybe Frank looked for me for a year, two if I was lucky. Perhaps he developed a drinking problem or gambled all his money away like they do in films. But then a woman helps him back to sanity, they fall in love and have a family and be happy. I hope he's happy, even if I don't love him anymore I don't wish him ill.

I felt someone nestle into my lap and looking down, ginger curls were against my stomach with a muscular arm around my middle. I stroked his hair and down his back.

"What are we going to do about Lizzie?" He asked out of the silence. I hadn't even thought about the problem with our daughter until now.

"Why didn't you tell me Jamie? You know very well she doesn't want to be married, your basically forcing her into a marriage she never wanted ." He sighed.

"Well, our marriage was quick."

"If that's what you went on for this decision it's not fair to her. Our marriage was within completely different circumstances and you know that." Jamie buried his face in my shift.

"She might like him, I won't force her but I will give her a slight push. They aren't betrothed but the match would be well made, still cementing the Mackenzie- Fraser bond. I wouldn't have enforced it if I married Laoghaire but that was never happening." He chuckled.

"You dodged a bullet there. Where is she now, anyway?" I asked.

"Married to someone with a few bairns, all of them young." Nodding I looked out the window at the highland scenery that I was still taken away by.

"She's the least of our problems right now. You need to sort it out with Elle." Jamie didn't answer.

An hour later we were walking down to the hall for breakfast and most people were already in there. I sat down next to Murtagh with Jamie opposite me, looking over I saw Elle sitting next to Finlay- Erskine. He seemed different to what he was last night, he seemed quieter and less bold. More of a book worm that a soldier.

They were deep in conversation about something or another and Lizzie didn't seem bored. I could tell what n she was putting up a front or when she was bored in a conversation but at this point she didn't look annoyed at all. Maybe it was just to prove Jamie something, or perhaps, for once she actually liked someone. Maybe he wouldn't just be a friend like every other boy who had earlier liked her.

"She seems to be having an actual conversation." I said to Jamie. He looked over to her and raised his eyebrows.

"Perhaps. Or maybe she's just trying to annoy me."

"Jamie." I scolded with a glare. "You've been giving her such a hard time lately, it's not fair." He sighed and looked down at his plate.

"I dinna want her to yet her hopes up. I don't want her to die alone either, or be alone when we're gone. I'd prefer her to hate me and be happy in every other aspect in life than like me because I didn't try and have her die alone with no family around her deathbed." Smiling at him, I crossed my feet around one of his legs and looked round at Elle.

* * *

I was surprised with how quiet Finlay was when he was sober. Her was utterly apologetic in explaining how he was different when he was drunk, he was all rowdy and loud when really he's very studious and shy and doesn't like to talk much. Also how it scared him when he was told he would be married soon to someone he had never met. He apologised for how he spoke of my mother and father, or of what he remembered.

Often I would find myself smiling at him without noticing and twirling my hair.... of all things I never expected to do that. Maybe I would like him, perhaps over time I would develop feelings for him. Who knows? I know I don't. Maybe this is what people take about when it's the point of maturity?

As the breakfast progressed, we slowly got more comfortable in each other's company and It didn't seem as awkward or strange anymore. I gradually saw how similar we were, even if he was a lot quieter than me.

"Do you know the area well?" I asked him in a silence. Studying his face as he looked up at me.

"Well enough but I couldn't tell you all my father could. But then, I doubt many could." Smiling him I took a mouthful of wine, it was the only liquid around and my throat was dying. I winced at the taste and shoved some food down my throat to take the taste away. I saw him smile at me and I raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" I said with a mouthful of food.

"Your just different to other people my age, I don't know many people my age to be fair but I Ken your the only one I've actually liked. The girls I knew in France when I was younger were really prim and proper and boring. I didn't have many friends that were boys at the time and no one wanted to run around with me and play in the mud and all those boys things I suppose."

"And girl things. I always do all that kind of stuff with my cousins. I don't have siblings, but my cousins are practically that." He nodded.

"What's the worst thing that you have ever done?" He asked, I laughed.

"Drinking my eldest cousins warm piss, because I lost a dare." Finlay looked completely gobsmacked and surprised.

"What dare? What could possibly be so bad that you would drink warm piss?"

"I had to go into the water by the mill in all my clothes for two minutes, as you can imagine. It was Scottish winter and the water was cold enough to freeze over. I only lasted three minutes before I nearly got pneumonia. But, I refused to have a double dare. So after I had changed. I had to go out into the yard with my other cousins watching, and drink my eldest cousins piss. Right there. It was atrocious. Practically toxic." We both laughed and I looked at him for a returning answer.

"I guess the worst thing I've done...well it's not as bad as drinking warm piss, but when I was about six and still in France. I went to a wedding with my mother and was aloud to walk around the hotel. I found the wedding cake, and being a young child. Seeing cake, made me pretty excited, maybe even too. But I went straight forward and began eating all of it until the whole five tier baby blue and white cake fell onto me. I was almost completely sure that the cake weighed more than me. Then everyone came in and the bride was crying and yelling in French and my mother was running back to the horses with me. But I remember her laughing." I looked down the table at his mother. Geillis Duncan, a truly beautiful woman, independent and still important.

If I had to be married, I wished mine to be like my mother and fathers, and to act like Geillis Duncan. She held herself with composure but I knew if she needed she could yell at her son or her husband, or anyone really. Looking at Finlay I noticed things about him I hadn't before. How the sun travelled across his cheek bones and the way he ruffled his hair every now and then- also how I wanted to run my fingers through his hair- he had a lot of freckles. Far more than me, but I liked them, he was broad shouldered but muscled for a book worm. I supposed Dougal wouldn't leave him completely alone, must have made him do some work.

He seemed like one that would be quiet until he needed to say something. He would do something if it was the right thing or in the right instance but wouldn't feel a need to do anything otherwise, which I respected. I was one to intervene straight away if I didn't agree and that didn't agree with my daily life. My father had had to pull me out of so many fights just from my stubbornness. I I'm a problem child and I know that I don't live up to the standards my parents want. But it's hard to always have to be good enough and not just be successful with what I have.

"I dinna know someone could stare for such a long time." A voice said. I went back to the present and realised I had been staring into Finlay's eyes for the last couple of minutes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I do that sometimes, I'm such an airhead. Away with the fairies really." He smiled.

"I like that." When he said it, it made me feel warm inside. I wanted to feel foolish for thinking like that, but I didn't feel foolish because it was normal. He just made me feel special and that didn't happen to me, that was it right? Or was this something different?

About half an hour later, Dougal stood up and announced we should get started for the day in Gaelic and I stayed where I sat.

"What do you here?" I asked Finlay.

"Not much, I would learn how to use a sword in combat when I was younger but now there isn't really much too do. When Laird Colum died a couple of years ago. We came over but his son was still alive and laird. My father became his adviser and next in line for Laird to his favour." Smiling I looked for my parents through the crowd and saw my mother and father talking to Dougal off in the corner.

"What can I do?"

"I have no idea, your mother used to be a healer here. Maybe she could teach you some things, I'm just going up to the stables for the day." The stables, hmm. That could be interesting, I did like stables.

"Could I come with you? I wouldn't bother you. I just like horses a great deal." Finlay smiled.

"If you would like to, then I would appreciate your company. I'm going straight up there. But it seems your father wants to speak with you." He said addressing my ominous father luring toward us with the hint of a smile.

"G'morning Finlay." My father said with a slight nod of the head.

"Same to you Uncle Jamie." Finlay smiled at my father.

"Would you let me excuse Elspeth." He asked, he only used my full name when I was in trouble or something had happened.

"Of course. I'll see you later Elle." Smiling at him I stood up and followed my father too stand with my mother who was speaking with Dougal.

"Ahg. Elspeth, how are you this fine morning? I see you were in deep discussion with my son." I nodded.

"I am, quite well... How are you?" I asked in an awkward attempted to fill a silence I probably didn't need to. Looking down I tried to not make eye contact with anyone.

"You find me in good spirits, I hope the little episode yesterday is forgotten on both sides?" I was opening my mouth to protest when my father coughed and I nodded.

"Dougal, please. I doubt the girl wants the company of the like a of you, let her go." Hearing a female voice I looked up, it was Geillis Duncan, the beautiful wife of Dougal. I couldn't help but wish I could be as beautiful as her.

"You are right of course. Be off with all three of you." Looking up I smiled at Geillis and she bowed her head with a smile in return.

"Elle." My father said as we exited the hall. "I'm sorry. I've been harsh lately and I don't know why, I'm sorry for trying to push you into something I knew you would object you, can you forgive me lass?" Hugging my father tightly, he seemed surprised and hugged me back, I looked over to my mother who was smiling.

"Of course I can, I need to stop being such a moody bitch." I said into his shirt and it made him laugh heartily. Looking up at him he smiled down at me and kissed my forehead.

"I love ya both and shant be giving it away over a marriage you don't want." I nodded but I wasn't so sure anymore. Maybe I did have feeling for Finlay.


End file.
